The Meaning of 2 Samuel 7:14 Explained

2 Samuel 7:14

KJV: I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:

YLT: I am to him for a father, and he is to Me for a son; whom in his dealings perversely I have even reproved with a rod of men, and with strokes of the sons of Adam,

Darby: I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the sons of men;

ASV: I will be his father, and he shall be my son: if he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I will be his father,  and he shall be my son.  If he commit iniquity,  I will chasten  him with the rod  of men,  and with the stripes  of the children  of men: 

What does 2 Samuel 7:14 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 7:1-17 - The Glorious Future Of David's House
Always do better for the cause of God than for yourself. You have no right to dwell in cedar, while God's Ark is under curtains. Also, beware of giving directions or advice, unless you have first consulted God. You may be as good as Nathan, but, if you speak apart from the divine Spirit, you will probably be compelled, on the following morning, to eat your words.
David's intention was good, but neither was he the man nor was that the time for temple-building. See 1 Chronicles 22:8. The sword could not yet be exchanged for the trowel, but in the meantime the will was accepted in lieu of the act. It was then God's turn to pour out a perfect avalanche of blessing, which must have made David forget those weary years of waiting and wandering. Do not be anxious about the future. Use your life and all its resources for God, and he will care for you. No tongue can exaggerate the goodness and mercy which God lays up for them that trust in Him before the sons of men. And it is because He loves that He does not hesitate to chasten. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 7

1  Nathan, first approving the purpose of David to build God a house
4  After by the word of God forbids him
12  God promises him benefits and blessings in his seed
18  David's prayer and thanksgiving

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 7:14 mean?

I will be his Father and he shall be My son If he commits iniquity and I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men
אֲנִי֙ אֶהְיֶה־ לּ֣וֹ לְאָ֔ב וְה֖וּא יִהְיֶה־ לִּ֣י לְבֵ֑ן אֲשֶׁר֙ בְּהַ֣עֲוֺת֔וֹ וְהֹֽכַחְתִּיו֙ בְּשֵׁ֣בֶט אֲנָשִׁ֔ים וּבְנִגְעֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י אָדָֽם

אֶהְיֶה־  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לּ֣וֹ  his 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
לְאָ֔ב  Father 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
וְה֖וּא  and  he 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
יִהְיֶה־  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לִּ֣י  My 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
לְבֵ֑ן  son 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
בְּהַ֣עֲוֺת֔וֹ  he  commits  iniquity 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עָוָה 
Sense: to bend, twist, distort.
וְהֹֽכַחְתִּיו֙  and  I  will  chasten  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular, third person masculine singular
Root: יָכַח  
Sense: to prove, decide, judge, rebuke, reprove, correct, be right.
בְּשֵׁ֣בֶט  with  the  rod 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֵׁבֶט  
Sense: rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe.
אֲנָשִׁ֔ים  of  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
וּבְנִגְעֵ֖י  and  with  the  blows 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: נֶגַע  
Sense: stroke, plague, disease, mark, plague spot.
בְּנֵ֥י  of  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אָדָֽם  of  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.